by Artisttia Yarns

Created on: April 06, 2009   Last Updated: May 21, 2009

From the ancient practices of the Far East, a secret has been passed down from Mother to daughters of childbearing age. Perhaps the origin of this secret was religious, perhaps instinctual, but for whatever reason mothers in eastern cultures have known the best way to soothe and calm an infant is through infant massage. It recreates the sensory experiences baby experienced within the womb. It mimics the caressing of the infant's skin by amniotic fluid which would have occurred with each step his mother took. In recent years, medical staffs have embraced the practice of infant massage as it offers a multiplicity of benefits.

Benefits of Infant Massage:

*Touch: Infant massage provides baby with one of its basic needs, the need for touch. Touch is so important to a newborn that without touch, an infant will die. Infants crave touch as those with asthma crave air. Infants that are not touched enough develop Failure-to-Thrive syndrome. For these infants, if touch is withheld long enough, theses infants die.

Massage has a positive effect on the giver of the massage as well. Most people tend to think of Oxytocin as that hormone that makes breast feeding possible; and it is. Regardless of the sex of the person giving the massage, Oxytocin will be released in them as well calm and relaxing them as well as baby. Thus, infant massage benefits the entire family.

*Stress Relief: Infant massage enhances the ability for the baby to relax. Massage in infants and adults decreases Cortisol levels. This decreases the stress. For baby, decreased stress means better quality of sleep (this means so will mom and dad!). Decreased stress has also been proven to enhance immunity.

*Bonding: The time spent with your baby during the massage will enhance the bond in the family unit. The level of security of attachment (bonding) that one forms with a primary caregiver will greatly affect one's actions, reactions to others andinter-personal relationships throughout life.

*Communication: Communication between you and your baby are enhanced through massage. It provides the opportunity to learn what each coo or noise that make means. You will soon find that a baby communicates through her entire body. As you interact with your baby, you will be able to learn more about their likes and dislikes.

*Digestion: Many infants have problems with gas, constipation, colic and the associated pain that come with these conditions. Massaging your infants belly in a clockwise direction will help relive these digestive

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